And william ahrens



(No Model.) 7

G. SOBOTKA 85 W. AHRENS.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING SOLID MATTER FROM LIQUIDS.

No. 488,583. Patented Dec. 2'], 1892.

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GUSTAV SOBOTKA, OF NEW YORK, AND WILLIAM AHRENS, OF LONG ISLAND CITY,NEYV YORK.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATlNG-SOLID MATTER FROM LIQUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,583, dated December2'7, 1892.

Application filed January 6, 1892. Serial No. 417,198. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV SOBOTKA, a citizen'of AustriaHungary,residing at New York, in the county of New York, and WIL- LIAM AHRENS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Long Island City, Queenscounty, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Separating Solid Matter from Liquids; andwe do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus for separating solidmatter from liquids and the principal object is to provide means wherebythe waste material or slops from distilleries which results from theusual process of manufacturning spirits and yeast and which isordinarily cast aside or thrown away as useless, may be reclaimed andutilized for cattle food or for other purposes.

A further object is to provide a simple, efficient, inexpensive andreliable apparatus, whereby the solid particles or grain contained inthe slops may be thoroughly separated from the liquid matter, andcollected for subsequent treatment and use.

To this end we have devised the improved apparatus illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, which represents a preferred constructionzofapparatus for practicing our invention, but it will be understood ofcourse that the construction and arrangement of parts of the apparatusmay be modified in Various ways without departing from the spirit of ourinvention.

The drawing illustrates a vertical sectional elevation of an apparatusembodying our invention, and like parts therein are denoted by likeletters of reference.

A denotes. an outer cylinder which may be made of sheet metal or of anysuitable material, and within which is placed asecond smaller cylinderB. The cylinder B is perforated from top to bottom, as shown the holesor perforations being very small so as to serve as a strainer or sieveto permit the liquid to pass through the same into the space between thecylinders A and B while the solid matter is retained within thecylinder. The cylinder B is preferably made of brass, though anysuitable material may be employed.

0 denotes a spindle or vertical shaft which is stepped in a bearing 0,fixed to the bottom of the casing A, and which may be suitably journaledat its upper end in a bearing supported by a frame piece D.

E denotes a worm wheel which is fixed on the spindle O, and meshes witha worm-shaft E, which latter shaft receives motion from any suitablesource of power.

F denotes a spiral blade or screw secured to the spindle C and which ispreferably only about half the length of the cylinder B so as to leave aclear space below the blade and within the cylinder for nearly or abouthalf the length of the latter. The blade or spiral F is made tapering atits upper end as indicated atf, while its main portion f, is preferablyadapted to fit the interior of the cylinder B, so as to impinge againstthe inner walls of the cylinder and prevent the solid matter fromsinking when it has once entered the spiral way provided for itsexpulsion from the cylinder by the spiral blade.

G represents a conical cap piece which is fitted over the tapered upperend of the spiral F, and may be secured by bolts or otherwise to thecylinder head H, which latter is preferably formed with an annularflange or extension H, to which is secured the cross piece D whichsupports the upper bearings for the shaft 0. The cylinder head H is alsoprovided with a central opening fitting over the perforated cylinder B,and with an exit opening and spout h, at one side thereof. On the lowertruncated cone or cap G, is placed a similar rotating bell-shaped coveror cap G, which is adjustably secured upon the shaft 0, by means of aset screw 9, and these parts are adapted to provide a very narrow spacebetween the inner tapering or conical surface of the cover G and theexterior surface of the part G, for the admission of the solid matter orgrains exuding from the opening in the apex of the part G. The taperingportion of the cover G is preferably formed with an an nular flat-facedrim or flange g which re-- volves freely slightly above and out ofcontact with a similar flange 9 of the part G, so that the solidparticles or grains entering the space between the conical caps andworking down between the peripheral rims or flanges g, 9 will be forcedout at the spout h.

The conical form of the cover and the conical cap G serve to prevent toofree an egress of the solid matter, and also tend to squeeze thematerial at the apex of the cap G to expel the water contained therein,and allow the solid material to drop into the space between the cones tothe discharge spout.

The cover G may be adjusted up and down for the purpose of varying thedistance between the apex of the conical capG, and the inner face 9 ofthe rotating cover G, so as to adapt the device to permit grains orparticles to escape without grinding them to powder or impeding theoperation of the apparatus.

I represents a force pump connecting with the lower end or inlet to thecylinder B, by means of a pipe, 1', and K represents a receptacle orreservoir for the liquid matter which connects with the interior of thespace between the cylinders A and B, by means of a discharge pipe is.

L represents a discharge pipe which may connect with a suitable sourceof water supply, for the purpose of washing out the apparatus afterusing or when itbecomes fouled or clogged in use.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:The slops or liquid matterto be separated is forced into the lower end of the cylinder B, by meansof the pump I, and is caused to ascend the cylinder by the pressure ofthe pump, so that a liquid column will be maintained in the cylinderwhich will exert a pressure opposed to the pressure of the pump, tendingto force the liquid through the perforations in the cylinder B. As theliquid rises in the latter cylinder the rotary action of the spiralblade or screw 1*, will raise the solid particles of the liquid whilethe purely liquid matter will pass through the perforations in thecylinder to the annular space between the cylinders A and B, and thencethrough the pipe is into the receptacle K. The solid matter which iscarried upward by the spiral blade will be forced out between the apexof the cap G and the hub 9 of the rotating cover or cap G, and workingdown between the contiguous conical surfaces of the cap pieces will bedelivered into the exit pipe or spout h from whence it may be conductedto any suitable receptacle. By thus providing for the separation of thesolid matter from the liquid by maintaining a solid column in the pipeB, the liquid is between two forces, to wit, the pressure 0f the pumpand the weight of the column above the lower end of the pipe B and thesecombined forces act upon the liquid in effecting a separation, so thatall the liquid matter will be extracted and the solid matter will passout at the top of the apparatus.

The outer shell or casing A, is preferably, though not necessarily,cylindrical in form, and instead of a pump, an elevated tank or othermeans may be employed for forcing the liquid matter or slops into theapparatus, and other modifications will readily suggest themselves to askilled mechanic. We do not therefore desire to be limited to the exactconstruction and arrangement of parts described and shown.

The pump I may be of any desired construction, but we preferably use afiy-wheel pump with connections for imparting motion therefrom to therevolving shaft G, simultaneously with the pumping of the liquid intothe apparatus, so that when the separating mechanism is stopped bythrowing the pump out of action, the supply of liquid will also be cutoff.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States,is:

1. An apparatus for separating solid matter from liquids, comprising theouter casing or shell, the inner perforated cylinder, the revolvingspiral blade, the stationary truncated cone or cap, the revolvingbell-shaped cover, and means for forcing the liquid matter into theperforated cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the perforated cylinder, and the revoluble spiralblade working I therein, the stationary cap arranged over the f upperend of said cylinder, and the revoluble bell-shaped cover fitting oversaid cap, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the outer casing, the interior perforatedcylinder, the revoluble screw working in said cylinder, the cap over theend of the cylinder, the revoluble cover fitting over said cap,independent outlet and inlet openings for the separated liquid and solidmatter, the induction pipe and the pump or forcing apparatus connectedwith said in duction pipe, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the vertically disposed outer cylinder or casing,the perforated cylinder fixed concentrically within said casing, thevertical shaft with spiral blade thereon fitting closely within saidperforated cylinder; said blade being tapered at its upper end, thetruncated cone or cap fitting over the tapered end of said spiral blade,the revoluble bell shaped cover fitting over said cap, the cylinder headforming a chamber which surrounds said cap and cover, and having anoutlet opening therein, the inlet and out-let pipes connecting,respectively, with the inner perforated and outer cylinders, and thepump connected with said inlet pipe, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus for separating solid matter from liquids, comprising aperforated openended cylinder or tube, with induction pipe and forcingapparatus connected therewith,

IIO

a cylindrical casing surrounding said tube provided with a head orextension having a central opening therein and forminga chamber abovethe outlet end of the tube, the outlet pipe connected with said casing,the conical cap fitting over the upper end of the tube, the Verticalshaft or spindle, the bell-shaped cover adjustably secured to said shaftabove said cap, the spiral blade fixed on said shaft below the cap, andmeans for revolving said shaft, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the perforated cylinder, the vertical rotaryshaft, the spiral blade on said shaft, the conical cap and thebell-shaped cover fitting over said cap and I 5 adj ustably secured tothe shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

GUSTAV SOBOTKA. WILLIAM AHRENS.

Witnesses as to Gustav Sobotka:

THOS. S. HOPKINS, M. PROSPERI.

Witnesses as to William Ahrens:

CHAS. A. TIPLING, C. A. WADLEY.

